Posts made by Mark Cruthers

Hi Jim,

I recommend you take a look at WiZiQ's free Virtual classroom platform to aid in your online collaborations.

Mark Cruthers


WiZiQ  is an online teaching platform, which provides a free virtual classroom environment for teachers to interact online and teach students in real time. Teachers can also build a profile, keep an availability schedule, and maintain a content library, which is associated with their profiles, by uploading PowerPoint presentations and PDF Files.

WiZiQ offers the following features:

Works in Flash format and needs no downloads

2-way live audio/video delivery

Whiteboard with Math tools

Synchronous Content sharing such as PowerPoint (retains animations and transitions), PDF, Flash, MS Word,

MS Excel files and videos

Records all sessions to be played back in Flash format (needs no downloads)

Share PowerPoint presentations asynchronously even with narrated audio in slides

WiZiQ's Blog <a href="http://wiziq.typepad.com/http://wiziq.typepad.com/">http://wiziq.typepad.com/</a>

Feedback from Nellie, English Teacher
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<a href="http://www.wiziq.com/Replay_Session.aspx?key=t&id=44782http://www.wiziq.com/Replay_Session.aspx?key=t&amp;id=44782">http://www.wiziq.com/Replay_Session.aspx?key=t&amp;id=44782</a>

<a href="http://wiziq.typepad.com/wiziqcom/2007/12/collaborating-o.htmlhttp://wiziq.typepad.com/wiziqcom/2007/12/collaborating-o.html">http://wiziq.typepad.com/wiziqcom/2007/12/collaborating-o.html</a>

Wiziq YouTube Presentations:
<a href="

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Free Online Virtual Classroom

WiZiQ's free Virtual Classroom is an online internet mediated classroom where the teacher and the students are connected to share a common workspace. In this online session, they make use of audio-video conferencing, text chat, whiteboard, and content sharing capabilities. There are no costs for using the virtual classroom. The sessions are recorded and are available online on WiZiQ, which can be accessed for later review or reference.

Attendees can join a session with privileges to converse verbally with others; draw and write on whiteboard; and share Presentations, PDFs, Flash and Images. The teacher may withdraw or re-assign these privileges to the attendees. A Teacher can withdraw privileges from the attendee in terms that the attendee can not converse, or upload anything to share on whiteboard; in this case, the attendee is a spectator. An attendee can also request for rights, in which case, the teacher can click on the attendee’s name to transfer control.

Features for Teachers


Offers a complete online teaching management system to its registered teachers without installing any software.
Teachers get their own virtual classroom at no costs.
Provides the ability to schedule a session online through a calendar at teachers’ convenience.
Teachers can interact with students through an online whiteboard to share text or documents, and through a two-way audio and text chat.
Teachers can build their profile.
Provides the ability to conduct one-on-one or group sessions online.
Payments from learners can be accepted.
Teachers can maintain a learners’ corner.

Hi Christine,

I'm glad you asked. :)

WiZiQ is an online teaching platform, which provides a free virtual classroom environment for teachers to interact online and teach students in real time. Teachers can also build a profile, keep an availability schedule, and maintain a content library, which is associated with their profiles, by uploading PowerPoint presentations and PDF Files.

By the way WiZiQ is partnered with SCoPE. They have it in their Moodle Block.

WiZiQ offers the following features:
Works in Flash format and needs no downloads 2-way live audio/video delivery Whiteboard with Math tools Synchronous Content sharing such as PowerPoint (retains animations and transitions), PDF, Flash, MS Word, MS Excel files and videos Records all sessions to be played back in Flash format (needs no downloads)
Share PowerPoint presentations asynchronously even with narrated audio in slides
Feedback from Nellie, English Teacher
Wiziq YouTube Presentations:


WiZiQ's free Virtual Classroom is an online internet mediated classroom where the teacher and the students are connected to share a common workspace. In this online session, they make use of audio-video conferencing, text chat, whiteboard, and content sharing capabilities. There are no costs for using the virtual classroom. The sessions are recorded and are available online on WiZiQ, which can be accessed for later review or reference.

Attendees can join a session with privileges to converse verbally with others; draw and write on whiteboard; and share Presentations, PDFs, Flash and Images. The teacher may withdraw or re-assign these privileges to the attendees. A Teacher can withdraw privileges from the attendee in terms that the attendee can not converse, or upload anything to share on whiteboard; in this case, the attendee is a spectator. An attendee can also request for rights, in which case, the teacher can click on the attendee’s name to transfer control.

Free Online Virtual Classroom

Features for Teachers

  • Offers a complete online teaching management system to its registered teachers without installing any software.
  • Teachers get their own virtual classroom at no costs.
  • Provides the ability to schedule a session online through a calendar at teachers’ convenience.
  • Teachers can interact with students through an online whiteboard to share text or documents, and through a two-way audio and text chat.
  • Teachers can build their profile.
  • Provides the ability to conduct one-on-one or group sessions online.
  • Payments from learners can be accepted.
  • Teachers can maintain a learners’ corner.

Features for Students

  • Students can find teachers
  • Learn from home, live through the Internet through an easy-to-use and interactive browser based interface, without installing anything.
  • Access tutorials shared by subject matter experts
You are all invited to my next WiZiQ Technology Demo.
When: April 14
Time: 2:00PM PST
Given by Mark Cruthers online Advanced Placement teacher and education consultant.
Link to register for the demo.

(Edited by Sylvia Currie - original submission Monday, 7 April 2008, 08:15 PM. Just fixed formatting a bit to remove large spaces and changed bold paragraphs to plain)

Hi J.

I found my interview with Meri Walker on  Wiziq's blog.  Ignore the money part, that's Meri Walker's audience interest; I mostly discuss my experience in teaching AP online.

http://wiziq.typepad.com/wiziqcom/2008/03/how-can-you-be.html

Mark Cruthers

Hi Emma,

No question.  The excellence of a teacher is critically important whether live or online.  For the teacher I think the online technologies like Wiziq  will facilitate that teacher's ability to reach his/her students with fewer geographic barriers.  If a mediocre teacher transitions to teach online, it's reasonable to assume their online work will be mediocre as well.  The skill of the teacher is probably the most critical factor to class success whether live or online.

Mark Cruthers